AFCON 2017: SAFA hail the appointment of two South African referees

South Africa Football Association (SAFA) have hailed the appointment of referee Daniel Bennett and assistant Zakhele Swela to officiate at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Gabon.

The organization's chair of technical committee, Natasha Tsichlas lauded the duo, who are among the 38 referees and assistants that will officiate at the finals.

"We have always prided ourselves as probably the country with the highest number of world class match officials and the appointment of Bennett and Siwela is yet another endorsement of that," Tsichlas told SAFA's official website.

"Part of our Vision 2022 cannot be complete without us producing quality and competitive officials and Bennett and Siwela are among those top officials who we are busy churning out.

"While some sections might be critical of some of our officials, the fact that South Africa’s referees are being sought after to handle CAF and FIFA matches speaks volume of how our efforts are being appreciated,” Tsichlas added.

The prestigious tournament will take place from 14 January–5 February 2017.